James A. Michener Quotes - Page 4

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• In a small Polish farm community, during the fall planting season of 1981, events occurred which electrified the world, sending reverberations of magnitude to capitals as diverse as Washington, Peking and especially Moscow.

  James A. Michener

  Fall, Community, Events

  James A. Michener (2014). “Poland: A Novel”, p.26, Dial Press

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• organizations like the church or General Motors promote a man up and up until he reaches a spot which he is obviously incapable of filling, and there they lay him to rest.

  James A. Michener

  Men, Organization, Church

  "Poland" by James A. Michener, (p.587), 1983.

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• It was the silent time before dawn, along the shores of what had been one of the most beautiful lakes in southern Africa.

  James A. Michener

  Beautiful, Lakes, Southern

  James A. Michener (2014). “The Covenant: A Novel”, p.27, Dial Press

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• I had been educated with free scholarships. I went to nine different universities, always at public expense, and when you have that experience, you are almost obligated to give it back. It's as simple as that.

  James A. Michener

  Simple, Giving, Different

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• Although most of us know Vincent van Gogh in Arles and Paul Gauguin in Tahiti as if they were neighbors -- somewhat disreputable but endlessly fascinating -- none of us can name two French generals or department store owners of that period. I take enormous pride in considering myself an artist, one of the necessaries.

  James A. Michener

  Pride, Artist, Names

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• The extreme geniality of San Francisco's economic, intellectual and political climate makes it the most varied and challenging city in the United States.

  James A. Michener

  Cities, San Francisco, Political

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• Russia, France, Germany and China. They revere their writers. America is still a frontier country that almost shudders at the idea of creative expression.

  James A. Michener

  Country, Russia, Expression

  "A Spelunker in the Caves of History". "Modern Maturity" Magazine, August 1985.

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• I have only one bit of advice to beginning writers: be sure your novel is read by Rodgers and Hammerstein.

  James A. Michener

  Advice, Novel, Beginning Writers

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• I never wrote anything that was published until I was forty.

  James A. Michener

  Forty

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• When this is over, I'm not going to be the same guy. I am going to live as if I were a great man.

  James A. Michener

  Men, Guy, Great Men

  "Storytelling Phenomenon". The Academy of Achievement Interview, www.achievement.org. January 10, 1991.

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• I kept careful record of the impact of religion on the election in my county. The religious issue permeated every meeting I conducted. It influenced Republicans and Democrats alike. Ministers preached politics publicly and churches distributed the most vicious electioneering materials. Practically no one I met escaped the pressure of this overriding problem and both parties were ultimately forced to make their major calculations with the religious question a foremost consideration.

  James A. Michener

  Religious, Party, Impact

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• The decent thing to do is to get rid of some of this money.

  James A. Michener

  Decent, Things To Do

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• I was a Navy officer writing about Navy problems and I simply stole this lovely Army nurse and popped her into a Navy uniform, where she has done very well for herself.

  James A. Michener

  Writing, Army, Nurse

  "Tales of the South Pacific". Book by James A. Michener, 1947.

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• You write that first draft really to see how it's going to come out.

  James A. Michener

  Writing, Firsts

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• I think the crucial thing in the writing career is to find what you want to do and how you fit in. What somebody else does is of no concern whatever except as an interesting variation.

  James A. Michener

  Writing, Thinking, Careers

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• Things are going to go wrong, and I think we are false to life if we don’t portray it. But there is also the hope that some lucky clown is going to come along and stumble into the gold mine. And I think you are also entitled to hold out that hope.

  James A. Michener

  Thinking, Gold, Lucky

  "Storytelling Phenomenon". Academy of Achievement Interview, www.achievement.org. January 10, 1991.

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• The arrogance of the artist is a very profound thing, and it fortifies you.

  James A. Michener

  Artist, Profound, Arrogance

  "The Michener Phenomenon". Interview with Caryn James, www.nytimes.com. September 8, 1985.

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• [The church's] job is to provide permanent solace and spiritual leadership to the people as a whole, whatever their government at the moment, so long as it stays within the bounds of moral decency.

  James A. Michener

  Spiritual, Jobs, Government

  "Poland" by James A. Michener (p. 591), 1983.

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• During my lifetime I have met dozens of writers and photographers in dozens of different countries. But I have encountered no one who could both write and photograph with the artistry of Robert Vavra.

  James A. Michener

  Country, Writing, Different

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• I don’t know who my parents were. I know nothing about my inheritance. I could be Jewish; I could be part Negro; I could be Irish; I could be Russian. I am spiritually a mix anyway, but I did have a solid childhood fortunately, because of some wonderful women who brought me up. I never had a father or a man in the house, and that was a loss...

  James A. Michener

  Father, Loss, Men

  "Storytelling Phenomenon". Academy of Achievement Interview, www.achievement.org. January 10, 1991.

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• Many people who want to be writers don't really want to be writers. They want to have been writers. They wish they had a book in print.

  James A. Michener

  Book, People, Wish

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• Contrary to what people think, I slave over my books.

  James A. Michener

  Book, Thinking, People

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• If I were a young man, I would not hesitate at writing anything to get into print, except pornography.

  James A. Michener

  Writing, Men, Young

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• I was surprised when shortly after New Year's Day of 1983, the Governor of Texas summoned me to his office, because I hadn't been aware that he knew I was in town.

  James A. Michener

  New Year, Texas, Years

  James A. Michener (2014). “Texas: A Novel”, p.25, Dial Press

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• A group of two dozen nurses completely surrounded by 100,000 unattached American men.

  James A. Michener

  Men, Two, Nurse

  "Tales of the South Pacific". Book by James A. Michener, 1947.

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